Red Star Chinese Restaurant food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Oxford City
Red Star Chinese Restaurant holds a 0, the lowest food hygiene rating possible, meaning urgent improvement is necessary. The inspector found serious problems at the restaurant requiring immediate action.
The rating: 0 - Urgent improvement necessary
The rating dates from 22 January 2026, 5 months ago. Councils typically re-inspect higher-risk businesses every six months to two years, with well-run, low-risk places visited least often, so this is a normal gap.
Address: 187 Cowley Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1UT
How it compares in Oxford City
A 0 is rare: only 4 of 1,382 rated places in Oxford City score this low, about one in 346. By contrast 87% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,207 | 87% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 116 | 8% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 32 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 4 | <1% | ← Red Star Chinese Restaurant |
A further 151 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Urgent improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Urgent improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Urgent improvement necessary
An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At Red Star Chinese Restaurant the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, the condition of the premises and confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Red Star Chinese Restaurant, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghan Cuisine Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 182 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 November 2024 |
| Alders Butchers Retailers - other | 196 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 July 2025 |
| Antep Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 257 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 November 2025 |
| Bodrum Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 257 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 July 2025 |
| Cafe Baba Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 257 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 September 2024 |
| Bigfoot Pub/bar/nightclub | 320 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2026 |
| Amigos Burritos Mexican Kitchen Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2026 |
| Arbequina Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 November 2025 |
Questions about Red Star Chinese Restaurant
What is Red Star Chinese Restaurant's food hygiene rating?
Red Star Chinese Restaurant has a food hygiene rating of 0 out of 5 (urgent improvement necessary), given by Oxford City Council on 22 January 2026.
Is Red Star Chinese Restaurant safe to eat at?
A 0 means urgent improvement is necessary: the inspector found serious problems. The restaurant may still be trading, because a rating is not a closure order, but this is the lowest score the scheme gives.
When was Red Star Chinese Restaurant last inspected?
Red Star Chinese Restaurant was last inspected on 22 January 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Oxford City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Red Star Chinese Restaurant?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "urgent improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "urgent improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "urgent improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Red Star Chinese Restaurant compare to other places in Oxford City?
87% of the 1,382 rated food businesses in Oxford City hold the top rating of 5, while Red Star Chinese Restaurant holds a 0. 4 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Oxford City Council inspects Red Star Chinese Restaurant and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.
Tell me when this changes
The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch Red Star Chinese Restaurant and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Is this your business?
A rating of 0 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at Oxford City, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: Oxford City
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Oxford City inspects and rates 1,533 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Oxford City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.oxford.gov.uk
Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →